Improvement in dress-guards for carriages



G. W. RA'ITT..

Carriage-Fender.

Patented Oct. 16. 1866 N-PETERS, PNOTG-LITMOGRAPHER WASHINGION, D. C

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. RAIT'D, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

EMPROVEMENT IN DRESS-GUARDS FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,885, dated October 16, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. R-AITT, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have inrented a new and useful Dress-Guard for Oarriages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention consists in the provision of a guard or screen for temporary attachment to the dash-board and seat of a buggy or pleasurecarriage, for the purpose of protectin g the dress of the rider from contact with the wheels, as well as from mud and dirt projected therefrom.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the guard in position on a buggy. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, to an enlarged scale, ofthe guard, a portion of the case being removed.

A is a cylindrical case, shell, or pocket, of leather or vulcanite, or other suitable material. B B are circular heads, to which the case A is attached.

O is a spindle, which, traversing both heads, B B, is secured therein by a spiral spring, D, whose other extremity is fastened to a ring, E, attached to the case. The upper end of the case is closed by a cap, F.

Projecting laterally from the case A is aflap, G, having eyelets or apertures g, which en gage over knobs H on the dash-board.

Attached by one end to the spindle O is an apron, I of leather or other suitable material, whose free end has one or more hooks, J, which, when the guard is required for use, engage in eyes K upon the seat.

The apron may consist in part of a piece, L, of shirred rubber goods or other elastic fabric.

Operation: The lady or other passengerhaving entered the carriage and taken her seat, the apron is drawn out sufficiently to engage in the eyes K, and in that position serves to confine the dress of the occupant within the carriage, and also to screen or ward offparticles projected from the wheels. WVhen your lady wants to alight you simply disengage the free end of the apron, when the spring D causes it to fly back into the case.

The present illustration was selected because actual test had proved it to be effective, but is susceptible of various modifications; for example, the apron being composed chiefly or wholly of elastic material may enable a portion or all of the spring D to be dispensed with. On the otherhand, a sufficient capacity of spring may supersede the necessity of any elasticity in the apron. WVhere the spring D is dispensed with, the spindle is, of course, fixed iunnovably in the case.

I claim herein as new and of my invention- An extensible guard or screen for attachment to carriages, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. RAITT.

Witnesses:

G110. H. KNIGHT, JAMES H. LAYMAN. 

